I often wonder if we realize that the modern pulse of our city didn't start in a government office, but in a quiet monastery on the banks of the Vrbas. Standing here today, it’s hard to imagine that in 1899, this very spot was the high-tech heart of the Balkans.

I went to the Marija Zvijezda Monastery looking for the ghost of that first lightbulb. While the rest of Europe was still reliant on gas lamps, the Trappist monks were busy harnessing the river. When they pulled the lever of the first hydroelectric plant, they didn't just bring light to their brewery and cheese factory—they dragged Banja Luka into the modern age. As I captured the shots you see here, I couldn't ignore the silence of the machinery. There is a haunting aesthetic in the rust and the peeling paint, but it’s a bittersweet beauty. The facility, once a symbol of radical innovation, is now in a state of deep neglect. The walls that saw the first electric spark in the region are struggling under the weight of time and shadows.

It’s painful to see such a landmark crumbling. Every "scar" on these bricks tells a story of a city that dared to be first, yet we are letting that story fade. However, as I adjusted my lens to catch the light hitting the old turbines, I felt a sense of hope. There is a growing conversation about finally restoring this industrial gem. I truly hope that soon, these halls won't just be a subject for my moody, atmospheric photos, but a living, breathing monument once again. We owe it to the monks who saw the future in the river to make sure this light doesn't go out for good.

Cover photo by Darko Gavrić